Nissan GTP ZX-Turbo
The Nissan GTP ZX- Turbo ( also known as GTP ZX -T) was used by Electra Automotive Engineering from 1985 to 1990 in the IMSA GT Championship. He became famous because this car was the first of the Porsche 962 defeated. In the years 1989 and 1990, Nissan also won the constructors' championship with this race car. The GTP ZX had a more developed from the 300ZX VG30ET V6 turbo engine. After 1990 this car from Nissan NPT -90 was replaced.
Development
Electra Automotive Engineering was from 1984, the official U.S. motorsport partner of Nissan. Their task was the use and further development of the race car. Our involvement in the IMSA series served as from 1983, the LeMans used to transport the Nissan name and the technical know-how of the group to the public. The engine was designed with the help of Electra designs from Nissan itself. With the development of the chassis was commissioned the renowned race car builder Lola Cars International. The first three chassis with the name Lola T810 were completed in early 1985. This chassis was an evolution of T710, Lola had developed for the Corvette GTP by Chevrolet. The first year was the development of the car, then from 1986 to be competitive. Primarily Electra motives had to adapt the car to the shorter sprint race of the IMSA GT. Lola built three more chassis that have been adapted from Electra motives until the end of 1987 to meet the challenges of the IMSA GT. The changes were so extensive that Electra motives eventually constructed the chassis itself and built. Overall, Electra Designs 1988 five chassis were manufactured. 1990 Electra motifs in Nissan Performance Technology Inc. ( NPTI ) has been renamed and the GTP ZX- Turbo was replaced midway through the season by the NPT -90.
Racing history
1985-1986
The Lola T810 made its first appearance in 1985 in Laguna Seca. The car was driven by motives Electra - founder Don Devendorf and Tony Adamowicz copilot. They came up with seven laps down in eleventh place finish. After an accident in Charlotte was allowed out of some races. In the race at Sears Point you took another ninth place. In the remaining races in which you participated, we retired with technical problems. To advance the development of the car, Nissan decided to leave out several races of the 1986 season. This included the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring. The Lola T810 Nissan GTP ZX now turbo -called car underwent its debut on the road course of Miami. But was nothing to be seen of success. They had still to solve a number of problems. Things went better when next appearance at Mid-Ohio. The driver duo Elliot Forbes -Robinson / Louis Heimrath Jr. reached the seventh place by car. Electra Designs developed the car further intensive and at his next appearance at the race in Portland already showed the potential that was in the car. Geoff Brabham struggled at times for the lead and reached at the end with the third place, the best result of the car. A fourth place at Sears Point followed but again mechanical problems in the next races. At the race in Columbus, the last race of the season, then it was enough for fifth place. In the Constructors' Championship, the IMSA GT was reached seventh place at the end.
1987
The first race of the season, the 24 - hour race at Daytona was left out and was only at the race in Miami at the start. This showed how good Electra motives had been working over the winter. Elliot Forbes -Robinson / Geoff Brabham defeated the hitherto dominant Porsche 962 and took the first victory for the Lola T810 Nissan GTP ZX- Turbo. This achievement, however, was short-lived. At Road Atlanta, the car retired with a broken clutch and in Riverside finished an accident the race prematurely for the Lola - Nissan. In Laguna Seca, it was enough for a fifth place, before the technique failed again at Mid-Ohio. Only with the last race of the season, the race at Del Mar the car with the sixth place could enter a noteworthy result again. In the final score, it was enough for fifth place in the constructors' championship. That was an improvement over the previous season, but the overall winner, the Porsche 962 took six times as many points as one of the Lola - Nissan.
1988
The completely redesigned cars for the 1988 season was now a self-construction of Electra Automotive Engineering and was now called Nissan GTP ZX- Turbo. The name Lola was gone from the type designation. After the first victory in the previous year Nissan saw now the time has come with two-car ride to victory. But accidents foiled the plan and so began the season with only one car. Since the GTP ZX- Turbo was but constructed as a sprint car, was left to the first race of the season, the. Daytona 24 Hours and held its first meeting in Miami The driver duo Geoff Brabham and John Morton, who dominated in the early seventies of the 20th century in the SCCA with a Datsun 510, but occupied only a disappointing eighth place. The next race, the 12 Hours of Sebring was allowed out again. The next appearance of the GTP ZX- Turbo was at Road Atlanta and here the true potential of the car showed. Brabham / Morton won with four seconds ahead of the Jaguar XJR- ninth In contrast to the 1987 season, where it remained for a victory, this time it was only the first of a series of victories. This was followed by victories in West Palm Beach, Lime Rock, Mid-Ohio, Watkins Glen, Road America, Sears Point and Portland. Racing in Portland two GTP ZX- Turbo was the first time at the start and promptly reached to a double victory. Geoff Brabham won ahead of John Morton. After eight consecutive victories put it at the race in San Antonio a defeat. After problems with the electrics to Electra Motives / Nissan and Brabham / Morton had to make do with the twelfth. Already the next race went back to Nissan. Geoff Brabham won in Columbus and Derek Daly, who this time the second GTP ZX- Turbo headed, came as the seventh to the finish. Daly finished the last race of the season, the two hours race at Del Mar in fourth place, Geoff Brabham was taken as 22. Although Nissan won nine of the fourteen races, the overall victory went to the constructors' championship with just one point clear at Porsche. By staying away in Daytona and Sebring gave away to the overall victory. As a consolation, but remained the drivers' title for Geoff Brabham.
1989
After winning the drivers 'title in 1988 by Geoff Brabham should ago 1989 constructors' title. For this purpose it was necessary to compete but also in Daytona and Sebring, although GPT ZX- Turbo was not built for the long haul. In fact, both cars retired from Daytona. The race in Miami was a three -hour race again and the Nissan GPT ZX- Turbo won with Geoff Brabham and Chip Robinson at the wheel of the victory. Then came the 12 - hour race at Sebring. To the surprise of all was on one of the two GTP ZX- Turbo torture and Nissan is the first victory brought in an American long-distance races. On this victory came another victory at Road Atlanta. In Palm Beach we had technical difficulties and had to settle for sixth place. In Lime Rock, Mid-Ohio, Mosport and Road America, the GTP ZX- Turbo but again found his form back and won. In Portland for the first time won the new Jaguar XJR -10 but in Topeka, San Antonio and Sears Point was the victory back to the Nissan. At the penultimate race in Tampa and the last race at Del Mar, the Nissan was defeated by the Jaguar but again. But it was enough time to victory in the constructors' championship. The first time since 1983 that the winner was not Porsche. The Drivers' Championship was as in the previous year to Geoff Brabham.
1990
Nissan knew that the defense of the title with something in the tooths GTP ZX- Turbo would be problematic and therefore worked intensively on a successor. Until this car but was operational, still had the GTP ZX- Turbo hold up the flags. As a reinforcement for the out gone from Electra Designs NPTI team, which took two cars, now put the private Busby Racing team a one third GTP ZX- Turbo. As expected, it was eliminated in the season opener at Daytona, but already at the next race in Miami of victory went to Nissan. With the second place by Busby Racing one even won a double victory. For 12-hour race at Sebring you also celebrated a double victory, but this time, unlike last year no one's surprise. Fifth place for the third car we rounded off the success. The victory at Road Atlanta and Palm Beach went to Nissan. In Topeka, it was enough time for the second place. The victory went to the newcomer Eagle - Toyota. In Topeka but also the successor of the GTP ZX- Turbo, the NPT - 90 with the eighth place its debut. In Lime Rock is the best GTP ZX- Turbo crossed only when the fourth goal, but already at Mid-Ohio Nissan was back on top. But this time not with the GTP ZX- Turbo, but with the new NPT -90. In Watkins Glen also won the NPT -90. The best GTP ZX- Turbo came here as a fifth. At Sears Point the NPTI team with two NPT -90 approached. The GTP ZX- Turbo was used only by private teams. With seventh place by the Seabroke team the end of the career of the GTP ZX- Turbo was obvious. But in Portland and Road America, it was enough still for fifth place. According to a ninth place in San Antonio, John Paul Jr. was able to ride with each third place once again on the podium with the GTP ZX- Turbo in the last two races in Tampa and in Del Mar. Nissan took the second constructors ' title and Geoff Brabham his third drivers' title. The last race was the GTP ZX- Turbo 1991 in Miami. Garry Brabham grabbing himself on his debut the thirteenth rank. Although the car appeared two more times in the message lists, but was no longer used. His career was ended, but the name has been preserved for some time. The NPT -90 carried him to the rear wing.
Successes in other series
One of the first three Lola T810 chassis was delivered to the Japanese Le Mans Company for use in the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship. As in America, the car was running out because of technical defects. Only at the last race in the 1000 km of Fuji came Lola T810 -Nissan in eighth place finish. In the following year the car came only once to the finish. It was back in Fuji, this time in sixth place. Le Mans Company did not develop the car further, however, and took off in 1987 with a Porsche in the Japanese championship part. After the GTP ZX- Turbo was in America replaced by the NPT -90, a car came to Europe, where it was used in the Inter series. But with three races there was not a single time to the finish and was therefore no longer used.